At a time when the whole world is waiting anxiously for the latest and greatest version of mobile phones by Apple, iPhone 5, the company has taken all by surprise by releasing an unlocked version of its iPhone 4 in the United States market. Though iPhones of unlocked version are not uncommon in most countries, the customers still require getting it via a contract with a mobile operator for getting subsidized prices for the product. Nevertheless, the news is that all iPhones sold by Apple will not require any contract with mobile operators and the iPhones sold by AT&T at subsidized rates will be SIM locked. Thus, the customers require a hefty price to pay for purchasing the unsubsidized unlocked iPhone.

The unlocked GSM iPhone is not connected with any mobile carrier and the model is not SIM-locked. Thus, it can be used by other mobile networks and SIM cards too. This adaptability feature is perfect for those who require frequent travelling and switching of mobile operators and SIM often. It also allows for switching and using multiple SIM cards with one iPhone. The GSM version of unlocked iPhone 4 can be activated by inserting an active micro-SIM card from any supported GSM mobile carriers. Post this, the setup process can be completed by iTunes by connecting the unlocked iPhone 4 to the computer. Free activation via iTunes will be possible once the iOS 5 is released. At present, only the GSM version of unlocked iPhone 4 is available which is available for sale at all Apple stores in black or white colour with a price tag of $649 (16GB) and $749 (32GB), respectively.